Traveling by car has been an American institution practically forever, a rite of passage that every young person has to go through. Good tunes, a road map, and all the time in the world – that much hasn't changed.

But what has changed is that nowadays, we've got our music, maps and more all in the same place. Let's face it, smartphones are now a part of that tradition of hitting the open road and looking for adventure.

And Pure Mobile is rounding up the must-have mobile accessories that'll make your road trip that much easier – nevermind safer – with some of our favorite essentials for long car rides.

1: Car Chargers

Moshi Revolt Car Charger for iPhone, iPad and iPod

No matter what, every road tripper with a smartphone needs a car charger. Even if you're resting between stops, we wouldn't count on waiting for the hotel or motel to charge your device.

In fact, once you get to a rest stop, a dead phone battery isn't such a big deal anyway. It's losing power when you're on the road that's an issue, especially if you get lost.

And if you're traveling with buddies, a universal phone charger, like Dexim's Twin USB Car Charger, will let you charge any kind of phone, from BlackBerry to Android to iPhone. It's even got two ports, so you can charge two devices at the same time.

2. Car Holder/Mount

Griffin In-Car Window Mount for Smartphone or MP3 Player

Back in the day, your dad had your mom to distractingly flap a road map in his face. Nowadays, you have a passenger who waves around their smartphone with a maps app on, or you fumble between the wheel and your own device.

On a long trip, this kind of amateur setup just doesn't cut it, and a simple car window mount or smartphone holder will easily fix all that.

Lots of holders, like Griffin's In-car Window Mount, will work with almost every phone model and even with MP3 players. Do your so-pilot – and yourself – a favor and get one.

3. Bluetooth Car Kit

One quick way to ruin a road trip? Get pulled over for using your phone while driving.

Seriously, if you haven't got a BlueTooth car kit by now, don't you think it's about time? Plantronics and Novero both offer convenient models that'll let you navigate, talk, and listen to music hands-free.

Considering that half the fun of going somewhere by car is the time you spend getting there, you don't really want to waste the trip fumbling with your phone when you could be rolling down the windows and taking in the sights.